The Canal Club site, a former wood wharf, was purchased by the Greater London Council (GLC) in the 1970s and given to the Wellington Estate in Tower Hamlets as an extension for recreation. By the 1980s and 1990s it had become an important local resource, housing a community centre, designed by architect Julian Sofaer, that provided a laundry, youth club, nursery and play and amenity space.

In 2010 a community garden was built to provide a safe, outdoor space for local residents without access to their own garden. The garden is currently still open but the building has been closed to the community for years and Scallywags Nursery vacated and so now the building lies empty. The surrounding amenities have been neglected.

The Wellington Estate Tenants’ and Residents’ Association (TRA) is opposed to the redevelopment of the Canal Club site as this will be a loss of the original, architect designed hall, play, amenity and community gardening green space. Plus, it would lead to a further increase in the building density of the area.

We want to work with our neighbours to preserve this site for local use. The TRA favour the council’s 2017 option of a refurbished community hall that can provide dual access for a community nursery and community use.

Of course, we are in favour of council housing, however the council is losing housing stock daily into the private market via the Right to Buy legislation (RTB) and housing on this site will go the same way. Tenants moving in will be able to buy at discount after three years (less if they can transfer their tenancy) and can then sell in this prime location into the private market.

We have suggested that the council buys back and refurbishes properties on the estate and elsewhere in the borough that are now being sold through the private market. It will be cheaper than this “infill” scheme. In the last three years the council has bought back on the estate THREE properties under their Buy Back scheme, 2 x 1 bed bedroom and 1 x 2 bedroom. It will not buy back dwellings of four bedrooms and above even though the more recent “infills” were to provide housing of this size.

We do not think that the loss of this land and the Canal Club to future estate and local residents is offset by the gain in council housing stock to the borough. We say refurbish our community site and buy back on the estate.